Various surprint-type proofs employing a photopolymer are known. These are described, for example, in JP-A-49-441 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,557) and JP-A-46-15326 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means "examined Japanese Patent Publication"); and JP-A-47-41830, JP-A-59-97140 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,625), JP-A-61-188537, JP-A-61-213843, JP-A-62-67529, JP-A-62-227140 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,145), JP-A-63-2040, JP-A-63-2037 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,258), JP-A-63-2038, JP-A-63-2039, JP-A-63-74052, JP-A-61-189535 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,053), JP-A-61-200535, JP-A-62-247384, JP-A-62-291634, JP-A-62-27735, JP-A-62-24737, JP-A-63-2038, JP-A-63-2039, JP-A-63-78788, JP-A-63-213838, JP-A-63-253941, JP-A-261351 and JP-A-63-298337 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means "unexamined published Japanese Patent Application"); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,712. The methods described in these references employ a light-sensitive material prepared by laminating the following layers on a substantially transparent support: a release layer; and dye- or pigment-containing color layer and a photoresist layer, or a photoresist layer containing a dye or pigment. In the methods described in these references, a light-sensitive material is exposed to light and developed to form a color pattern; this pattern, together with a release layer, is transferred onto an image-receiving layer by applying heat and pressure, and, if necessary, the transferred image is retransferred onto a final support by applying heat and pressure to form a color image. These image formation methods are advantageous in similarity to printed matters, rapidity in treatment, and possibility of a negative/positive common systems, for example.
In recent years progress in electronics and communication techniques is realizing preparation of direct digital color proof in the field of color proof, and ink-jet systems, sublimation transfer systems, color paper systems using light-sensitive silver halide emulsions, electrophotographic systems, and the like have been developed to be applied therefor.
However, these systems are far from perfect. Ink jet systems and sublimation transfer systems produce significantly inferior images. Color paper systems not only yield inferior similarity to printed matters compared to the surprint systems that employ a photolayer but also involve the troublesome maintenance of liquid for stable treatment. Electrophotographic systems that employ a liquid toner have problems with the vaporization of flammable organic solvents and with the cost in applications for printing where a large size of a color proof is required, although the similarity to printed matters is satisfactory next to conventional photopolymer systems.